(1) Conventional wisdom has it that the name “Augustus Pablo” was coined by Herman Chin Loy as an exotic handle for release of instrumentals from any one of a number of session/keyboard players he had at his disposal - and the name stuck to our Horace when one of his tunes hit with record buyers in JA (by all accounts some early keyboard (non melodica) instrumentals are actually by the likes of Lloyd Charmers rather than Horace Swaby). Anyway the question is what about “Snow ball and Pudding” – is this HS?

(2) “Jughead” (Tiger 7”) – Pablo is listed as the artist on this (rather unremarkable) piano instrumental – surely its not the melodica maestro but a masquerader?

(4) “I man” is most at home on the “Aquarius dub LP” was it ever released as a seven?

(5) Ricky Storme / I Kong “The way it is” (Top Ranking / Top Cat) – my copy is mislabelled so I’m not sure whether it’s the TR or TC variation - do both these feature the same Pablo versions on the flip?

(2) 'Jughead' is an Organ instrumental. Not sure who played on it though, could well be Lloyd Charmers.

(3) 'Ape Man' is a version to Gregory Issacs 'Look before you Leap' and is quite nice. As for 'Fiat 145' I think it's really called 'Fiat 125'. It's the dub to I Roy's 'Cow Town Skank' and is really good. Both tracks are on Trojan's Pablo comp 'Skanking with Pablo'.

(4) I don't think so.

(5) The original Top Cat release of 'The Way it Is' (DSR 4681/4682) came with a very good instrumental version, featuring nice keyboard but I don't know who played it. This pairing was repressed in the UK on a Top Cat label with matrixes TC1A/B. The Pablo melodica version was only on the later Top Ranking pressing (DSR 7440/7441), which I understand has recently been re-repressed. Labels and pressings aside 'The Way it is' is one of my favourite records, a beautiful, spiritual piece of music. I heard that the UK Coxsone sound used to run the version side from the Top Cat pressing fairly frequently.

thanks - I was thinking electric piano for "jughead" but after listening again it's obviously pretty standard turn of the decade "liquidator" style organ.

my copy of "the way it is" is the later one referred to and is hiding under a ruddy thomas top ranking "time to leave daddy" label - the version features melodica and the rhythm clearly is a later (or overdubbed ?) version of the top side as suggested (the drumming is noticeably more pronounced) - either way, classic tunes...